Piet-Maria Caniz
}}| |border-bottom:solid 1px #ccd2d9;}}" | Piet-Maria Caniz |- align="center" colspan="4" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; border-bottom:solid 1px #ccd2d9;" - |- colspan="1" Born colspan="3" February 22, 274 Sagabona, The Deucolands - |- colspan="1" Achievements colspan="3" Two-time ICARA driver champion - |- colspan="1" Racing Series colspan="3" ICARA - |- colspan="1" Car no., team colspan="3" No. 10 (Savant) - |- colspan="1" 313AP Pts Pos colspan="3" 67th of 103 - |- colspan="1" Best Pts Finish colspan="3" 6th (312AP) - |- colspan="1" Last Race colspan="3" 314AP Mountain Peak 400 - |- colspan="1" First Win colspan="3" 303AP Southern Confederation 500 - |- colspan="1" Last Win colspan="3" 312AP Southern Confederation 500 - |- colspan="1" Starts colspan="3" ?? - |- colspan="1" Wins colspan="3" ?? - |- colspan="1" Podiums colspan="3" ?? - |- colspan="1" Poles colspan="3" ?? - |- colspan="1" Racing Series colspan="3" RZOEAZ - |- colspan="1" Best Pts Finish colspan="3" 2nd of 110 (317AP) - |- colspan="1" Last Race colspan="3" 317AP Mountain Peak 400 - |- colspan="1" First Win colspan="3" 315AP Angliyaa 300 - |- colspan="1" Last Win colspan="3" 318AP Foodmart 200 - |- colspan="1" Starts colspan="3" 115 - |- colspan="1" Wins colspan="3" 3 - |- colspan="1" Top-5s colspan="3" 17 - |- colspan="1" Top-10s colspan="3" 36 - |- colspan="1" Poles colspan="3" 8 |- |} Piet-Maria Caniz (born, ironically enough, on his birthday) is a Deuco race car driver in the RZOEAZ. He currently drives the No. 97 Petroline/InterKit Saqlain for Black Star Racing Syndicate. His current residence remains something of an enjoyable mystery to his fans, who eagerly follow the tabloids and social media trying to find clues to his home's location - a kind of international Caniz-stalkers' union. Likewise, his marital and family status remain somewhat unclear, though legions of adoring female fans (and more than a few male fans, as well) all claim him as their own and the father of their future children. How those claims impact his spouse - if he has one - remains to be seen. Caniz formerly raced open-wheel cars in ICARA, where he was a two-time driver points champion, as well as a three-time Ayrtona 500 Champion. (As it turns out, Caniz is indeed married to wife Anna-Maria, and they have 3 children, but this information isn't usually disclosed to the public so as to maintain a degree of mystery!). Early Life Caniz is a bit of a "rags to riches" story. His family came from very humble beginnings, his father Klaus-Maria working as a janitor and handyman at the Ayrtona Motor Speedway. Piet-Maria would be spellbound by the races at the Speedway as a child, and it became his dream to one day become a racing driver himself - a dream that seemed unattainable coming from a humble family that had no spare funds to spend on financing a racing career. Caniz would get an unexpected break at a local dirt track race in Ayrtona where he was working as a helping hand when one of the regular racers fainted just before his race was supposed to start, and the team asked Caniz to take the wheel at the last moment as a replacement. Without much experience behind the wheel, the young Caniz nevertheless used whatever knowledge he had acquired during his many years of closely following racing in the Deucolands, and surprised everyone by working his way forward in the field, having been forced to start last as a replacement driver. He would finish the race in 9th place coming from 24th, and garnered the attention of many fans and team owners with his unlikely performance. After additional testing, a local sponsor decided to back his full time entry in the dirt track series, and the way was paved for the beginnings of a legendary career. Petroline Support Caniz' consistently brilliant finishes on the dirt track circuit caught the attentions of several sponsors, and he eventually signed as a development driver with Kalisth'iziran oil giant Petroline, who would support the Deuco driver throughout his career's steep rise, and share may successes together. Petroline was his first sponsor in RZOEAZ, and his entire ICARA career, he would drive for Saqlain under Petroline sponsorhip, which initially earned him some criticism at home, for having preferred a "foreign" sponsor above the many domestic offers he also had on the table. Trademark Facial Hair As soon as it would grow, Caniz began to sport his "Zapruda" beard style which later would become an unmistakable trademark. Essentially no one has ever seen Caniz without this beard - at least not in public, and he maintains that he has never shaved it off after his first dirt track win - "for good luck" - but simply maintained it with appropriate trimming. ICARA Retirement, Return to RZOEAZ and Sponsorship Controversy After winning his 2nd ICARA Championship title in 313, Caniz surprised and shocked everyone by announcing his retirement, stating that he "has achieved everything he ever wanted to achieve in open-wheel racing, and more", including winning the ICARA title twice, and the Ayrtona 500 three times. It was equally surprising and shocking when it was announced that he would return to RZOEAZ competition a year later after "an offer too good to refuse" from Team MDN and Samuelonian Petroleum. Caniz also said he had some "unfinished business" in stock cars, and that he "welcomed the challenge of driving these completely different cars" after a long career in open-wheels. Caniz earned a lot of criticism for signing up with a team sponsored by Samuelonian Petroleum, after having been in Petroline colors all his career, with some hardcore fans calling him a "traitor". "Petroline and Saqlain will always be deep in my heart, and I am forever grateful for their support," Caniz said, "but now it's a different chapter in my life, and I like a little change of scenery." Petroline themselves saw "no problem with his decision. He will always be a legend and a part of the Petroline family". RZOEAZ Career 300AP Season Caniz, an avid amateur race car driver in his native Deucolands, joined the burgeoning RZOEAZ in 300AP as a rookie. The sport was then in its second year of existence, and Caniz was part of its first Rookie of the Year class, an honor that was eventually won by Eastern Zartanian rookie Darrell Allen. Always more of an open-wheel racer at heart, Caniz's experience in the world of stock car racing featured a rather steep learning curve. After landing behind the wheel of the Petty's Enterprise No. 44 Petroline Parmiyon, Caniz turned in a rather lackluster rookie season, starting only 19 of 36 races, and netting only one Top-5 and 3 Top-10 finishes. In the end, the open-wheel racer jumped at the opportunity to leave the RZOEAZ before the end of his contract to help start the ICARA open-wheel series as a rival to the faltering Whiland-based Formula 1 series. In the end, Caniz found his niche in ICARA, and would spend the next 14 years racing in that series. 315AP Season Caniz returned to the RZOEAZ 15 years after his rookie season, signing with Samuelonian mega-team Team MDN to drive the No. 25 Samuelonian Petroleum Parmiyon. Despite a rocky start for his return to stock car racing, Caniz proved that he was a good investment for Team MDN by winning the inaugural Angliyaa 300 in Sarina, Angliyaa, in June. That win cemented Caniz's place as only the third driver in history to win races in both ICARA and the RZOEAZ. Despite his good success, Team MDN shocked many fans and pundits, and no less Caniz himself, by releasing him from his contract at the end of the season. 316AP Season Released by Team MDN following the 315AP season, Caniz was afraid he would be unable to find a ride for 316AP. But Whiland-based Black Star Racing Syndicate had other plans, offering Caniz a multi-year deal to drive the team's No. 97 InterKit Parmiyon as a teammate to three-time Crown Cup Champion Merton Gray. Career Stats ICARA Career 300AP Season Caniz left the RZOEAZ before the end of the season to try his hand at open-wheel racing in the newly formed ICARA racing series. Career Stats Category:Motor Racing Category:Sports Category:People Category:RZOEAZ Category:ICARA